George Anna, Who Has Already Served Jail Time For Scamming Consumers, Accused Of Violating Previous Court Order By Targeting More Victims
BUFFALO – Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that he is seeking criminal contempt charges against George Anna, a Western New York home improvement contractor, for a second time. In 2012, the Attorney General obtained a court order barring Anna from the home improvement business unless he first posted a $100,000 performance bond. In 2014, Attorney General Schneiderman learned that Anna was holding himself out as a home improvement contractor , despite never having posted the bond. As a result, in July 2014, Anna was sentenced to 90 days in jail. Anna has allegedly again violated the court order and Attorney General Schneiderman is seeking criminal contempt charges.
“When shady home improvement contractors target New Yorkers and fail to provide promised services, there will be consequences,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “If a contractor chooses to disregard a court order stemming from prior misconduct, we will not hesitate to pursue criminal contempt charges and prosecute individuals to the fullest extent of the law.”
In 2012, the Attorney General obtained a court order against Anna after proving that he repeatedly took money from consumers and failed to provide the home improvement services for which he had been paid. In 2014, the Attorney General proved that Anna was doing so again, in violation of the court order, and the court sentenced him to jail.
The Attorney General’s most recent investigation showed that Anna allegedly ripped off an additional six consumers. In one case, Anna took $8,600 for a roofing job that he is accused of not completing, requiring that the consumer pay another company $14,500 to correct Anna’s mistakes and complete the job. In another case, Anna allegedly took more than $3,300 for a roofing job, but he only ripped off some shingles from the customer’s roof.
The Attorney General is seeking criminal contempt on a total of 18 violations of the court order, for which Anna could be imprisoned for 30 days and/or required to pay a $5,000 fine for each.
Attorney General Schneiderman offers the following tips for consumers dealing with home contractors:
- Never agree to have work done on the spot, especially when potential contractors are door-to-door marketing;
- Determine exactly what you want done, then seek out a qualified contractor;
- Shop around: get at least three estimates from reputable contractors that include specific information about the materials and services to be provided;
- Ask for references: check with the Better Business Bureau, banks, suppliers, and neighbors; always contact any references provided to you;
- Insist on a written contract that includes the price and description of the work needed;
- Do not pay unreasonable advance sums: negotiate a payment schedule tied to the completion of specific stages of the job; never pay the full price up front; and
- Remember that you have three days to cancel after signing a home improvement contract, but all cancellations must be in writing.
Individuals with complaints against Anna should contact Attorney General Schneiderman’s consumer help line at (716) 853-8404, or his Buffalo Regional Office at (716) 853-8400.
This case was handled by Assistant Attorney General James Morrissey and Karen Davis, Senior Consumer Fraud Representative in the Buffalo Regional Office, which is led by Michael Russo, Assistant Attorney General in Charge. The Buffalo Regional Office is a part of the Division of Regional Offices, led by Marty Mack, Executive Deputy Attorney General for Regional Offices.